STANDARD LANDSCAPE ORDINANCE DEFINITIONS
Pennsylvania Shade Tree Law, 1700
........"every owner or inhabitant of any and every house in Philadelphia,
Newcastle and Chester shall plant one or more trees, viz., pines, un-bearing
mulberries, water poplars, lime or other shady and wholesome trees before the
door of his, her or their house and houses, not exceeding eight feet from the
front of the house, and preserve the same to the end that the said town may
be well shaded from the violence of the sun in the heat of summer and thereby
be rendered more healthy.........
Reilly 1973
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Figure 3-1: Early Municipal Green Law, The Pennsylvania Shade Tree law of 1700
LSU Landscape Ordinance Research Project
LANDSCAPE CODE VOCABULARY
"the geography of a development site"
c. 2003 all rights reserved.
School of Landscape Architecture
Louisiana State University
Prof. Buck Abbey
A. Design, Maintenance and Installation Code Component Vocabulary
ADA Spaces. Site spaces, defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act, which must be barrier free. ADA spaces must be of a certain size, location, gradient, surfacing and use. Often found in parking lots and near building entries
Buffering. The use of landscaping or retained native vegetation or the use of landscaping along with berms, walls or decorative fences that at least partially and periodically obstruct the view from the street or an abutting property in such a manner that vehicular use areas, parking lots, parked cars, detention ponds and conflicting activity areas will be partially or completely screened.
Bufferyard. A landscaped area usually at the side or rear of development sites which are provided to separate and partially obstruct the view of adjacent land uses or properties.
Foundation Area. A proscribed area of ground of a defined width adjacent
to a building wall.
Heavy Vehicle Loading Area. A paved area designed to accommodate the
maneuvering, loading and unloading, and parking of commercial vehicles having
extra length and excessive weight which may require an increase in pavement
depth or ability to carry heavy loads.
Hydro-zone. A portion of the landscaped area having plants with similar water needs that are served by one irrigation valve and a set of head with the same schedule of water flow and timing.
Impervious Surface: Land area covered by a surface treatment that hinders the ability of the underlying soils to percolate water.
Island. In road and parking area design, one of several types of a raised planting area, usually curbed, and placed to guide traffic, separate lanes, limit paving (impervious surface), preserve existing vegetation and increase aesthetic quality.
Landscape Best Management Practices (LBPM's). Any planting, maintenance or sound ecological practices, standards or requirements that alter horticultural or aboricultural methods that reduce garden waste, recycle natural materials, conserve water, eliminate chemical discharge, capture storm water, trap sediments, improve pest management and assist plant growth through mulching, soil building, nutrient enhancement and systemic growth improvement methods.
Light Vehicle Loading Area. A paved area designed to accommodate the maneuvering, loading and unloading, and temporary parking of commercial vehicles.
Drive Through. A paved extension of a vehicular use area whose sole purpose is allow for the pick up of deliver of goods.
Loading Areas. An area which contains trash collection areas of dumpster type refuse containers, outdoor loading and unloading spaces, docks, outdoor shipping and receiving areas, outdoor bulk storage of materials or parts thereof, and outdoor repair areas of any service stations, safety equipment, inspection stations, or dealers.
Native Plant Community: A natural association of plants dominated by one or more prominent native plant species growing in its natural habitat.
Habitat Protection Areas, HPA. An area identified on an approved site plan containing native vegetation, natural features or unique habitat which will remain undisturbed when the property is fully developed.
Open Space. The unoccupied portion of a lot or building site that is open to the sky and which may or may not contain landscaping, landscaping structures, or garden facilities..
Outdoor Storage Area. An uncovered area used for storage of equipment, materials, goods, and supplies including the keeping of automobiles, trucks, boats, trailers, buses, and lawn and garden equipment which are not enclosed within building walls.
Parking Bay. A defined number of parking stalls separated by interior landscape islands, plantings or shade trees.
Parking Lot Screen or VUA Landscape Strip. Is a landscaped area which separates the vehicular use area of any development site from adjoining property and/or public right-of-way and whose purpose is to enhance the visual appearance of the site and to provide screening of the vehicular use area and certain other activities.
Permeable Pavement. An area of a vehicular use area paved with material that permits water penetration into the soil. Permeable pavement may consist of any porous surface materials which are installed, laid or poured.
Pervious Area. The area of a development site remaining after the area of structures, vehicular use areas, storage areas, utility areas, access ways, pedestrian pavement or wet retention ponds are subtracted.
Protected Tree. A tree of a certain size, species, age or character which can not be removed without a tree removal permit.
Retention Area: Areas designed usually by hydrological calculations and used for the permanent storage of storm water runoff. Micro-retention areas are sculpted minor depressions, swales and irregularly shaped parts of a building site whose purpose is to interrupt, slow and allow the seepage of storm water into landscape beds or directly into the ground.
Detention Area: An area designed by hydrological calculations for the temporary storage of a determined quantity of water with a release rate that is either fixed or variable.
Sign Monument Zone: An area of a site dedicated or permitted to the erection of a permanent sign or sign cluster often lighted and planted with low brightly colored seasonal flowers.
Sight Triangle. The area on either side of an access way at its junction with a public street forming a triangle within which clear visibility of approaching vehicular or pedestrian traffic must be maintained.
Storage Area. Any exterior of a site which is used for the keeping of garbage or trash cans, dumpsters, newspaper containers, oil and bottled gas tanks, swimming pool equipment, air conditioners and mechanical appurtenances.
Stream Bank Buffer. This is a setback zone along a active bayou, creek, stream, river or other water course which is left in its natural state for the purpose of preventing sedimentation or pollution from finding it way into a public water supply.
Street Tree Planting Area. The street tree planting area is the area of a development site which lies between the street right-of-way line and the edge of the street curb parallel to the street. This land is publicly owned but is often used for street tree planting, public utilities and street maintenance. It may also include public space within the center of boulevard medians fronting development sites.
Street Wall. A planting space of a proscribed dimension attached to the building wall fronting a public street.
Street Buffer. An area with a defined depth which is attached to a front property or servitude line which lies between the street right-of-way line and the actual front wall line of the building facing a public street. A variant is the preserved street buffer in which all native trees of a certain size must be preserved.
Street Yard. The street yard is the area of a lot, which lies between the street right-of-way line and the actual front wall line of the building facing a public street.
Technical Standards. Criteria, requirements and standards of a technical nature, usually specified in quantities, dimensions, sizes, qualities and performance outcomes and spelled out in a landscape ordinance to guide designers in the proper design of various parts of the development site, building lot or property.
Travel Lane. The main access way, one way or two way, which serves a vehicular use area or parking lot.
Tree Protection Area (TPA) : Any portion of a site wherein are located numerous existing trees and other native plant materials which are proposed to be preserved.
Tree Protection Zone. The area at the base of a tree where roots grow that is protected, from any of a number of harmful activities.
Utility Service Area: An area which contains any surface mounted HVAC equipment, utility boxes, booster stations, switch boxes, irrigation controllers and transformers that are part of a site utility system.
Vehicular Use Areas. All areas subject to vehicular traffic including
access ways, driveways, loading areas, service areas, and parking stalls for
all types of vehicles. Commonly thought of as parking lots, driveways and interior
streets.
Visual Screen. A physical obstruction, partially opaque, consisting of
living plant material, natural or manmade construction material, or a combination
thereof used to visually separate two areas of a building site.
Yard Area. That portion of any building site covered by the front, side and rear yard areas as established by the minimum setback requirements of a zoning ordinance.
Yard, Waterfront. A waterfront yard is the yard adjacent to public waterways. Waterfront yards front bays, bayous, wetlands, lakes, canals, aquatic conservation areas, aquatic preservation areas and similar waterways.
B. Administrative Practices Terminology
Administrative Standards: The set of rules, procedures and requirements set forth in a landscape code for both public administrators, consultants, builders, developers or contractors associated with making permit application, assembling materials for pubic review, meeting the requirements of the landscape or tree regulations, seeking approvals, enforcement, conducting site inspections, collecting fees, issuing permits and filing reports.
Arborist or Urban Forester: A person trained in arboriculture, forestry, landscape architecture, horticulture, or related fields and experienced and licensed in the conservation and preservation of native and ornamental trees.
Comprehensive landscape code or land alteration code: Very sophisticated ordinances, codes that regulate not only landscaping but land alteration, tree protection, tree removal, storm water management, erosion control, ground water recharge and land clearing and habitat preservation.
Landscape Administrator. A professionally educated or trained and licensed
person who is responsible for advanced technical and supervisory work in the
enforcement of Landscape regulations. Work involves supervising and coordinating
landscape inspection and plan review work, reviewing peer professional prepared
landscape plans and specifications and writing administrative reports and giving
expert testimony in regards to site development.
Landscape Architect. Professionally educated and licensed designer who is authorized
to prepare landscape plans, specifications and provide expert testimony in regards
to site development and compliance with municipal landscape regulations.
Landscape Inspector. Technical municipal employee, whose work involves on-site
inspections for landscaping of new construction sites and older existing sites
to ensure landscape code compliance. Generally reports to the Landscape Administrator.
Design Components. Sections of a landscape ordinance that make reference to specific parts of a site, building lot or development property that must be designed using standards, specifications or technical requirements specified in that ordinance.
Design Manual: A companion document to a landscape code which is prepared to summarize the technical language of a landscape code or tree regulations and the administrative procedures involved with preparing landscape design plans, seeking building permits, tree removal permits, land alteration permits conditional use of property.
Design manuals generally contain information that is helpful to designers such as a descriptions of design components, technical standards, and administrative procedures included within the landscape code. Design manuals often contain formulas, tables, diagrams, typical construction details, materials lists, standard specifications and helpful appendix material. Design manuals are written in easy to understand language and illustrated with graphics so that city officials, permit applicants, and property owners can under stand the technical landscape architecture, construction, horticulture and forestry terms contained within the landscape ordinance.
Green Law. This is a sobriquet for the term landscape ordinance or any site specific law that preserves, protects or enhances natural systems on a defined parcel of land or zoned development site. Common green laws include post construction landscape ordinances, tree preservation ordinance and land alteration ordinances whose prime purpose is the protection of native habitat including vegetation, soils, natural drainage and wildlife. Published with permission of John Wiley & Sons publishers of Abbey, Buck, U.S. Landscape Ordinances, John Wiley, NYNY, 1998.
Landscape Code: Created as a result of a landscape ordinance to create and set forth of set of technical landscape standards and responsibilities which are included within a municipal zoning ordinance to ensure that the public health, safety, and welfare is protected in regards to the development of land and changes to natural systems such as vegetation, soil, water, climate and wildlife associated with such land.
Landscape Ordinance: A public law, requiring public review and approval of a permit and creating a landscape code or tree regulations, often contained within a zoning ordinance or land development code that regulates landscape design, landscaping, landscape installation, horticultural practices, tree removal, planting, care and general site maintenance.
Landscape Code Standards. These are specifications, requirements, quality determinations or performance guidelines for judging acceptable compliance with the provisions of a landscape code.
Landscape Plan. The preparation of graphic and written criteria, specifications, and detailed landscape plans to arrange and modify the effects of natural features such as plantings, ground and water forms, circulation, walks, irrigation, landscape lighting, erosion control, on site drainage and other features to comply with the provisions of a community landscape code.
Permit. An official public document, authorizing performance of a specific regulated activity, on a development site.
Post Construction Certification Statement: A statement that is filed with municipal officials by the landscape architect certifying that all landscape construction has been implemented according to the requirements of the landscape ordinance or any public law that may apply.
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For a full discussion of these terms and the issues they represent refer to
Abbey, B., U. S. Landscape Ordinances, John Wiley & Sons, NYNY, 1998
Available at www.wiley.com
Landscape Ordinance Research Project
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803
Prof. Buck Abbey, ASLA
225.578.1434